There are two views of life and two kinds of people. Some see life as a possession to
be carefully guarded. They are SETTLERS. Others see life as a fantastic, wild, explosive
gift. They are PIONEERS. The visible church is an outfit with an abundance of settlers and
a few pioneers. The invisible church is the fellowship of pioneers. To no one's surprise
there are two kinds of theology. Settler theology and pioneer theology. Settler theology
is an attempt to answer all the questions, define and housebreak some sort of
"Supreme Being," establish the status quo on Golden Tablets in cinemascope.
Pioneer Theology is an attempt to talk about what it means to receive the strange gift of
life and live! The pioneer sees theology as a wild adventure, complete with indians,
saloon girls, and the haunting call of what is yet to be.

The Wild West offers a stage for picturing these two types of theology. Settlers and
Pioneers use the same words but that is where it stops. To see what I mean--read on.

THE CHURCH

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the church is the courthouse. It is the center of town life. The
old stone structure dominates the town square. Its windows are small. This makes the thing
easy to defend, but quite dark inside. Its doors are solid oak. No one lives there except
pigeons and they, of course, are most unwelcome.

Within the thick, courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes collected, trials held for
bad guys. The courthouse runs the town. It is the settler's symbol of law, order,
stability, and most important--security, The mayor's office is on the top floor. His eagle
eye scopes out the smallest details of town life.

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the church is the covered wagon. It is a house on wheels--always
on the move. No place is its home. The covered wagon is where the pioneers eat, sleep,
fight, love, and die. It bears the marks of life and movement--it creaks, is scarred with
arrows, bandaged with bailing wire. The covered wagon is always where the action is. It
moves in on the future and doesn't bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn't
comfortable, but the pioneers could care less. There is a new world to explore.

GOD

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--God is the mayor. The honorable Alpha O. Mega, chief executive of
Settler City. He is a sight to behold--dressed like a dude from back East, lounging in an
over-stuffed chair in his courthouse office. He keeps the blinds drawn. No one sees or
knows him directly, but since there is order in the town who can deny he is there? The
mayor is predictable and always on schedule.

The settlers fear the mayor but look to him to clear the payroll and keep things going.
The mayor controls the courthouse which in turn runs the town. To maintain peace and quiet
the mayor sends the sheriff to check on pioneers who ride into town.

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--God is the trail boss. He is rough and rugged- full of life. The
trail boss lives, eats, sleeps, fights with his men. Their well being is his concern.
Without him the wagon wouldn't move--the pioneers would become fat and lazy. Living as a
free man would be impossible. The trail boss often gets down in the mud with the pioneers
to help push the wagon which frequently gets stuck. He slugs the pioneers when they get
soft and want to turn back. His fist is an expression of his concern.

JESUS

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--Jesus is the sheriff. He is the guy who is sent by the mayor to
enforce the rules. He wears a white hat--drinks milk--outdraws the bad guys. He saves the
settlers by offering security. The sheriff decides who is thrown in jail. There is a
saying in town that goes like this--those who believe the mayor sent the sheriff and
follow the rules won't stay in Boot Hill when it comes their time.

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--Jesus is the scout. He rides out ahead to find out which way the
pioneers should go. He lives all the dangers of the trail. The scout suffers every
hardship, is attacked by the Indians, feared by the settlers. Through his actions and
words he shows the true spirit, intent, and concern of the trail boss. By looking at the
scout, those on the trail learn what it really means to be a pioneer.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the Holy Spirit is a saloon girl. Her job is to comfort the
settlers. They come to her when they feel lonely or when life gets dull or dangerous. She
tickles them under the chin and makes everything O.K. again. The saloon girl squeals to
the sheriff when someone starts disturbing the peace. (Note to settlers: the whiskey
served in Settler City Saloon is the non-spiritous kind.)

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the Holy Spirit is the buffalo hunter. He rides along with the
wagon train and furnishes fresh, raw meat for the pioneers. The buffalo hunter is a
strange character--sort of a wild man. The pioneers never can tell what he will do next.
He scares the hell out of the settlers. Every Sunday morning, when the settlers have their
little ice cream party in the courthouse, the buffalo hunter sneaks up to one of the
courthouse windows with his big black gun and fires a tremendous blast. Men jump, women
scream, dogs bark. Chuckling to himself, the buffalo hunter rides back to the wagon train.

THE CHRISTIAN

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the Christian is the settler. He fears the open, unknown frontier.
He stays in good with the mayor and keeps out of the sheriff's way. He tends a small
garden. "Safety First" is his motto. To him the courthouse is a symbol of
security, peace, order, and happiness. He keeps his money in the bank. The banker is his
best friend. He plays checkers in the restful shade of the oak trees lining the courthouse
lawn. He never misses an ice cream party.

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the Christian is the pioneer. He is a man of risk and
daring--hungry for adventure, new life, the challenge of being on the trail. He is tough,
rides hard, knows how to use a gun when necessary. The pioneer feels sorry for the town
folks and tries to tell them about the joy and fulfillment of a life following the trail.
He dies with his boots on.

THE CLERGYMAN

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the clergyman is the bank teller. Within his vaults are locked the
values of the town. He is suspicious of strangers. And why not? Look what he has to
protect! The bank teller is a highly respected man in town. He has a gun but keeps it
hidden behind his desk. He feels he and the sheriff have a lot in common. After all, they
both protect the bank.

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the clergyman is the cook. He doesn't furnish the meat--he just
dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides. This is how he supports the movement of the
wagon. He never confuses his job with that of the trail boss, scout or buffalo hunter. He
sees himself as just another pioneer who has learned to cook. The cook's job is to help
the pioneers pioneer.

THE BISHOP

IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the bishop is the bank president. He rules the bank with an iron
hand. He makes all the decisions, tells the tellers what to do, and upholds the image of
the bank. The settlers must constantly be reassured of the safety of their values. The
bank president watches the books like a hawk. Each day he examines all deposits and
withdrawals. The bank president is responsible for receiving all new accounts. This is
called "the laying on of hands."

IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the bishop is the dishwasher. He does the chores so the cook can
do his job. He supports the cook in every way possible. Together the cook and dishwasher
plan the meals and cook the food provided by the buffalo hunter. They work as an
interdependent team in all matters related to cooking. Humming while he works, the
dishwasher keeps the coffeepot going for the pioneers. Though the dishwasher has an humble
task he is not resentful. All pioneers realize that each man's job is equally important.
In fact, in the strange ways of the pioneer community, he is greatest who serves most. (A
bishop is the servant of the servants of God. If the servants of God are cooks, what else
would a bishop be?)

The complete book from which this was condensed is available from the author for $6.95.
Wes Seeliger, 4027 Lanark, Houston, TX 77025